Selective deposition of aluminum and nitrogen containing material

ABSTRACT

Methods are provided for selectively depositing Al and N containing material on a first conductive surface of a substrate relative to a second, dielectric surface of the same substrate. In some aspects, methods of forming an Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer for use in integrated circuit fabrication are provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/158,780, filed Oct. 12, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/432,263, filed Feb. 14, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,121,699, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/819,274, filed Aug. 5, 2015, which is related to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/438,055, filed Dec. 22, 2016, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present application relates to selective deposition of aluminum and nitrogen containing material, for example an Al and N containing thin film on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface.

Description of the Related Art

Integrated circuits are currently manufactured by an elaborate process in which various layers of materials are sequentially constructed in a predetermined arrangement on a semiconductor substrate.

The predetermined arrangement of materials on a semiconductor substrate is often accomplished by deposition of a material over the entire substrate surface, followed by removal of the material from predetermined areas of the substrate, such as by deposition of a mask layer and subsequent selective etching process.

In certain cases, the number of steps involved in manufacturing an integrated surface on a substrate may be reduced by utilizing a selective deposition process, wherein a material is selectively deposited on a first surface relative to a second surface without the need, or with reduced need for subsequent processing. Methods are disclosed herein for selective deposition on a first surface of substrate relative to a second, different surface of the substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some aspects, processes for selectively depositing a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen are provided. In some embodiments a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second dielectric surface of the same substrate in a process comprising one or more deposition cycles comprising contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen. In some embodiments a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second Si—O surface of the same substrate in a process comprising one or more deposition cycles comprising contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen. In some embodiments a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second non-conductive surface of the same substrate in a process comprising one or more deposition cycles comprising contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen. In some embodiments the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate with a selectively greater than about 50%. In some embodiments the first surface comprises at least one of: copper, titanium nitride, tungsten, and silicon nitride. In some embodiments the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is an aluminum nitride thin film. In some embodiments the aluminum nitride thin film comprises oxygen.

In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum is an organometallic aluminum compound. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum does not comprise any metals other than aluminum. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum has the formula R₃Al, wherein each R can be independently selected from C₁-C₄ alkyl groups. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum does not comprise a halide. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises one chlorine ligand and at two alkyl ligands. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises at least one hydrogen ligand and at least one alkyl ligand. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum does not comprise nitrogen, silicon, or oxygen. In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises triethylaluminum (TEA), trimethylaluminum (TMA) or tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA) and the second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen comprises NH₃.

In some embodiments the second dielectric surface comprises Si—O bonds. In some embodiments the process comprises a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In some embodiments the process does not comprise plasma in at least 2 consecutive deposition cycles. In some embodiments the process further comprises exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant prior to a first deposition cycle. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises plasma. In some embodiments exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant prior to a first deposition cycle enhances the selectivity by a factor of more than about 2. In some embodiments the process further comprises exposing the substrate to plasma after at least one deposition cycle. In some embodiments the substrate is exposed to plasma after more than 10 deposition cycles.

In some embodiments the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen has etch selectivity relative to SiO₂ in dilute HF. In some embodiments a ratio of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate is greater than about 10:1, and wherein a thickness of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on first surface of the substrate is greater than about 5 nm. In some embodiments a ratio of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate is greater than about 10:1 and wherein a thickness of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on first surface of the substrate is greater than about 1 nm. In some embodiments a ratio of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate is greater than about 10:1 and wherein the process comprises between about 1 and 25 deposition cycles. In some embodiments a ratio of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate is greater than about 10:1, and wherein the process comprises between about 1 and 150 deposition cycles. In some embodiments less than about 0.1 nm of material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on the second dielectric surface of the substrate after between about 1 and 25 deposition cycles. In some embodiments a ratio of a wet etch rate of the deposited aluminum and nitrogen containing material to a wet etch rate of SiO₂ is less than about 1:5.

In some embodiments the second dielectric surface of the substrate overlies a source/drain region, and the process further comprises removing the second dielectric surface of the substrate to thereby expose the source/drain region of the substrate, and forming a contact over the exposed source/drain region of the substrate.

In some aspects processes for selectively depositing AlN on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second dielectric surface of the same substrate are provided. In some embodiments the process may comprise one or more deposition cycles comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with vapor phase tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA) and vapor phase NH. In some embodiments the AlN is deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate with a selectivity greater than about 50%. In some embodiments the second dielectric surface comprises Si—O bonds. In some embodiments the process comprises a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In some embodiments the process does not comprise plasma in at least 2 consecutive deposition cycles. In some embodiments the process further comprises exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant prior to a first deposition cycle. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises plasma. In some embodiments the process may include some or all of the features of any other embodiment described herein above.

In some aspects processes for forming an etch stop layer in a self-aligned contact formation are provided. In some embodiments a process may comprise providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a first surface and a second dielectric surface overlying a source/drain region, removing a portion of the first surface of the substrate to form a recess therein, selectively depositing a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen on the first surface relative to the second dielectric surface, removing the second dielectric surface of the substrate to thereby expose the source/drain region of the substrate, and forming a contact over the exposed source/drain region of the substrate. In some embodiments the first surface comprises at least one of: copper, titanium nitride, tungsten, and silicon nitride. In some embodiments the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is an aluminum nitride thin film. In some embodiments the aluminum nitride thin film comprises oxygen. In some embodiments the process may include some or all of the features of any other embodiment described herein above.

According to some aspects, processes for selectively forming AlN on a first surface relative to a second different surface are provided. In some embodiments the process comprises one or more super-cycles comprising selectively depositing AlN on a first surface relative to a second different surface, etching the deposited AlN, wherein etching the deposited AlN removes substantially all of the deposited AlN from the second surface of the substrate and does not remove substantially all of the AlN from the first surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments the super-cycle further comprises repeating the selectively depositing AlN and etching deposited AlN steps until an AlN thin film of a desired thickness has been formed on the first surface. In some embodiments the super-cycle further comprises exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant prior to selectively depositing AlN. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises plasma. In some embodiments the plasma is generated from a gas comprising H₂.

In some embodiments selectively depositing AlN on a first surface relative to a second different surface comprises performing one or more selective deposition sub-cycles comprising contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum, contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen, and wherein the AlN is deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second dielectric surface of the same substrate with a selectivity greater than about 5%. In some embodiments the selective deposition sub-cycle further comprising repeating the selective deposition sub-cycle until AlN of a desired thickness is deposited on the first surface. In some embodiments selectively depositing AlN comprises repeating the selective deposition sub-cycle until the selective deposition sub-cycle is no longer selective.

In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises one of tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA), trimethylaluminum (TMA) or triethylaluminum (TEA). In some embodiments the second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen comprises NH₃.

In some embodiments etching the deposited AlN comprises an atomic layer etching (ALE) process comprising one or more etching sub-cycles comprising contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase halide etch reactant, and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum. In some embodiments the first vapor phase halide etch reactant comprises NF₃ or NbF₅. In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum comprises trimethylaluminum (TMA) or triethylaluminum (TEA). In some embodiments the etching sub-cycle is carried out at a process temperature of about 300° C. In some embodiments the first surface comprises W and the second surface comprises SiO₂. In some embodiments the first surface comprises TiN and the second surface comprises SiO₂. In some embodiments AlN is selectively formed on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface with a selectivity greater than about 99%.

In some embodiments selectively depositing AlN on a first surface relative to a second different surface comprises performing a selective deposition sub-cycle, wherein the selective deposition sub-cycle is repeated from 1 to about 300 times, wherein etching the deposited AlN comprises an atomic layer etching (ALE) process in which an etch sub-cycle is repeated from 1 to about 150 times.

In some embodiments a process for selectively forming AlN on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second different surface of the same substrate comprises a super-cycle comprising a selective deposition sub-cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum and a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen such that AlN is deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second different surface of the same substrate with a selectivity greater than about 5%, and an atomic layer etch sub-cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase halide etch reactant and a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum such that the atomic layer etch step removes substantially all of the deposited AlN from the second surface of the substrate and does not remove substantially all of the AlN from the first surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments the super-cycle is repeated one or more times. In some embodiments the super-cycle further comprising exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from a gas comprising H₂ prior to the selective deposition step.

In some embodiments the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises TMA, the second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen comprises NH₃, the first vapor phase halide etch reactant comprises NF₃, and the second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum comprises TMA. In some embodiments the first surface is a conductive surface and the second surface is a dielectric surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood from the Detailed Description and from the appended drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a deposition process flow for selectively depositing an Al and N containing material on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate;

FIG. 2 illustrates a deposition process flow for selectively depositing AlN on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate;

FIG. 3 illustrates a deposition process flow for selectively depositing an Al and N containing material on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate including a selective deposition sub-cycle and an atomic layer etching sub-cycle;

FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow for forming self-aligned contact structures;

FIG. 5 illustrates another process flow for forming self-aligned contact structures;

FIG. 6 is a graph of deposited material thickness versus number of deposition cycles for Al and N containing material selectively deposited on a first TiN surface relative to a second SiO₂ surface;

FIG. 7 is a graph of deposited material thickness versus number of deposition cycles for Al and N containing material selectively deposited on a first TiN surface relative to a SiO₂ and native oxide second surfaces;

FIG. 8 is a graph of deposited material thickness versus number of deposition cycles for Al and N containing material selectively deposited on a first TiN surface relative to a second native oxide surface;

FIG. 9 is a graph of deposited material thickness versus number of deposition cycles for Al and N containing material selectively deposited on a first TiN or W surface relative to a second SiO₂ surface;

FIG. 10A is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of AlN that has been selectively deposited on tungsten lines relative to SiO₂;

FIG. 10B is an enhanced view of a portion of the SEM image of FIG. 10A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some situations it is desirable to selectively deposit a material comprising aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N), such as aluminum nitride (AlN) on one surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate. For example, selective deposition of an Al and N containing material may be used to form capping layers, barrier layers, or etch stop layers, such as a contact etch stop layer. For example, an Al and N containing material may be deposited selectively on a first surface of a substrate preferentially over a second, different surface, such as a dielectric surface of the same substrate.

In some embodiments a substrate comprising a first surface and a second, different surface is provided and an Al and N containing material is selectively deposited on the first surface relative to the second surface using an ALD type process comprising a plurality of deposition cycles, each cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting a substrate with a vapor phase first precursor and a vapor phase second precursor. In some embodiments the selectively deposited Al and N containing material is AlN.

In some embodiments an aluminum and nitrogen containing material, such as AlN, is selectively deposited on a metal surface of a substrate comprising both a conductive surface and a dielectric surface. In some embodiments, AlN is selectively deposited on a first conductive surface of a substrate, such as a Cu, W, or TiN surface relative to a second dielectric surface, such as a SiO₂ or low-k surface of the same substrate. In some embodiments AlN is selectively deposited on a first surface that is not a conductive surface, such as a SiN surface, relative to a second dielectric surface, such as a SiO₂ or low-k surface of the same substrate. In some embodiments AlN is selectively deposited on a Cu surface, relative to a second, different surface. In some embodiments AlN is selectively deposited on a W surface, relative to a second, different surface. In some embodiments AlN is selectively deposited on a TiN surface, relative to a second, different surface. In some embodiments AlN is selectively deposited on a SiN surface, relative to a second, different surface.

In some embodiments processes for selectively depositing aluminum and nitrogen containing material, such as AlN may comprise subjecting the substrate to an etch process after selectively depositing aluminum and nitrogen containing material on a first surface relative to a second different surface, wherein the etch process removes substantially all of any deposited aluminum and nitrogen containing material from a second surface of a substrate and does not remove substantially all of the deposited aluminum and nitrogen containing material from a first surface of the substrate. In some embodiments the etch process may be an atomic layer etch process. In some embodiments the atomic layer etch process may comprise alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum and a second vapor phase halide etch reactant.

In some embodiments processes for selectively depositing aluminum and nitrogen containing material, such as AlN, may comprising a plurality of super-cycles comprising selectively depositing Al and N containing material on the first surface of a substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate and etching the deposited Al and N containing material such that substantially all of any deposited Al and N containing material is removed from the second surface while at least some Al and N containing material remains on the first surface. This selective deposition super-cycle may optionally be repeated until a desired amount of Al an N containing material is deposited on the first surface of the substrate. In some embodiments substantially no aluminum and nitrogen containing material remains on the second surface after each selective deposition super-cycle. In some embodiments substantially no aluminum and nitrogen containing material remains on the second surface after the selective deposition process.

In some embodiments a selective deposition super-cycle may further comprise performing a pretreatment process before selectively depositing the Al and N containing material. In some embodiments the pretreatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant may comprise a plasma, for example a plasma generated from a gas comprising H₂.

ALD Type Processes

ALD type processes are based on controlled, self-limiting surface reactions of precursor chemicals. Gas phase reactions are avoided by alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with the precursors. Vapor phase reactants are separated from each other on the substrate surface, for example, by removing excess reactants and/or reactant byproducts from the reaction chamber between reactant pulses. In some embodiments one or more substrate surfaces are alternately and sequentially contacted with two or more vapor phase precursors, or reactants. Contacting a substrate surface with a vapor-phase reactant means that the reactant vapor is in contact with the substrate surface for a limited period of time. In other words, it can be understood that the substrate surface is exposed to each vapor phase reactant for a limited period of time.

Briefly, a substrate comprising at least a first surface and second, different surface is heated to a suitable deposition temperature, generally at lowered pressure. Deposition temperatures are generally maintained below the thermal decomposition temperature of the reactants but at a high enough level to avoid condensation of reactants and to provide the activation energy for the desired surface reactions. Of course, the appropriate temperature window for any given ALD reaction will depend upon the surface termination and reactant species involved. Here, the temperature varies depending on the precursors being used and is preferably at or below about 500° C., preferably between about 250° C. and about 500° C., more preferably between about 275° C. and about 450° C., more preferably between about 300° C. and about 425° C., and most preferably between about 325° C. and about 400° C.

The surface of the substrate is contacted with a vapor phase first reactant. In some embodiments a pulse of vapor phase first reactant is provided to a reaction space containing the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is moved to a reaction space containing vapor phase first reactant. Conditions are preferably selected such that no more than about one monolayer of the first reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface in a self-limiting manner. The appropriate contacting times can be readily determined by the skilled artisan based on the particular circumstances. Excess first reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, are removed from the substrate surface, such as by purging with an inert gas or by removing the substrate from the presence of the first reactant.

Purging means that vapor phase precursors and/or vapor phase byproducts are removed from the substrate surface such as by evacuating a chamber with a vacuum pump and/or by replacing the gas inside a reactor with an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. Typical purging times are from about 0.05 to 20 seconds, more preferably between about 1 and 10, and still more preferably between about 1 and 2 seconds. However, other purge times can be utilized if necessary, such as where highly conformal step coverage over extremely high aspect ratio structures or other structures with complex surface morphology is needed.

The surface of the substrate is contacted with a vapor phase second gaseous reactant. In some embodiments a pulse of a second gaseous reactant is provided to a reaction space containing the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is moved to a reaction space containing the vapor phase second reactant. Excess second reactant and gaseous byproducts of the surface reaction, if any, are removed from the substrate surface. The steps of contacting and removing are repeated until a thin film of the desired thickness has been selectively formed on the first surface of substrate, with each cycle leaving no more than about a molecular monolayer. Additional phases comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the surface of a substrate with other reactants can be included to form more complicated materials, such as ternary materials.

As mentioned above, each phase of each cycle is preferably self-limiting. An excess of reactant precursors is supplied in each phase to saturate the susceptible structure surfaces. Surface saturation ensures reactant occupation of all available reactive sites (subject, for example, to physical size or “steric hindrance” restraints) and thus ensures excellent step coverage. Typically, less than one molecular layer of material is deposited with each cycle, however, in some embodiments more than one molecular layer is deposited during the cycle.

Removing excess reactants can include evacuating some of the contents of a reaction space and/or purging a reaction space with helium, nitrogen or another inert gas. In some embodiments purging can comprise turning off the flow of the reactive gas while continuing to flow an inert carrier gas to the reaction space.

The substrate can comprise various types of materials. When manufacturing integrated circuits, the substrate typically comprises a number of thin films with varying chemical and physical properties. For example and without limitation, the substrate may comprise a dielectric layer and a metal layer. In some embodiments the substrate can comprise metal carbide. In some embodiments the substrate can comprise a conductive oxide.

Preferably the substrate has a first surface comprising a conductive surface, such as metal or metallic surface. In some embodiments the first surface comprises a metal nitride. In some embodiments the first surface comprises one or more transition metals. The transition metal can be selected from the group: Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Au, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Pt. In other embodiments the transition metal is selected from the group: Fe, Co, Ni. In some embodiments the first surface preferably comprises copper. In some embodiments the first surface comprises a noble metal. The noble metal can be selected from the group: Au, Pt, Ir, Pd, Os, Ag, Re, Rh, and Ru. In some preferred embodiments the first surface comprises at least one of Cu, W, TiN, TaN, or SiN.

In some embodiments the first surface may comprise more than one material, for example TiN and SiN.

In some embodiments the first surface comprises a metal silicide, such as transition metal silicide. In some embodiments the first surface comprises a metallic film comprising a transition metal, such as a transition metal carbide or carbon-containing transition metal material. In some embodiments the first surface may comprise Al. In some embodiments the first surface comprises an alloy of metals or metallic materials.

The second surface is preferably a dielectric surface, such as SiO₂, GeO₂, or a low-k surface. In some embodiments, the dielectric comprises SiO₂. In some embodiments the dielectric is a porous material. In some embodiments the porous dielectric contains pores which are connected to each other, while in other embodiments the pores are not connected to each other. In some embodiments the dielectric comprises a low-k material, defined as an insulator with a dielectric value below about 4.0. In some embodiments the dielectric value of the low-k material is below about 3.5, below about 3.0, below about 2.5 and below about 2.3. In some embodiments the second surface comprises Si—O bonds. In some embodiments the second surface is deactivated, for example by a plasma treatment. In some embodiments the second surface is a non-conducting surface. In some embodiments the second surface has a resistivity greater than about 1 ohm·m. In some embodiments the second surface comprises Si—O bonds and has a resistivity less than about 1 ohm·m. The term dielectric is used herein for the sake of simplicity in distinguishing from the other, first surface, namely the metal or metallic surface. Unless indicated otherwise with respect to particular embodiments, the term dielectric in the context of this application can be understood to indicate all surfaces which have a very high resistivity.

The precursors employed in the ALD type processes may be solid, liquid or gaseous materials under standard conditions (room temperature and atmospheric pressure), provided that the precursors are in vapor phase before they are contacted with the substrate surface. Contacting a substrate surface with a vaporized precursor means that the precursor vapor is in contact with the substrate surface for a limited period of time. Typically, the contacting time is from about 0.05 to 10 seconds. However, depending on the substrate type and its surface area, the contacting time may be even higher than 10 seconds. Contacting times can be on the order of minutes in some cases. The optimum contacting time can be determined by the skilled artisan based on the particular circumstances.

The mass flow rate of the precursors can also be determined by the skilled artisan. In some embodiments the flow rate of metal precursors is preferably between about 1 and 1000 sccm without limitation, more preferably between about 100 and 500 sccm.

The pressure in a reaction chamber is typically from about 0.01 to about 20 mbar, more preferably from about 1 to about 10 mbar. However, in some cases the pressure will be higher or lower than this range, as can be determined by the skilled artisan given the particular circumstances.

Before starting the deposition of the film, the substrate is typically heated to a suitable growth temperature. The growth temperature varies depending on the type of thin film formed, physical properties of the precursors, etc. The growth temperatures are discussed in greater detail below in reference to each type of thin film formed. The growth temperature can be less than the crystallization temperature for the deposited materials such that an amorphous thin film is formed or it can be above the crystallization temperature such that a crystalline thin film is formed. The preferred deposition temperature may vary depending on a number of factors such as, and without limitation, the reactant precursors, the pressure, flow rate, the arrangement of the reactor, crystallization temperature of the deposited thin film, and the composition of the substrate including the nature of the material to be deposited on. The specific growth temperature may be selected by the skilled artisan.

Reactors capable of being used to grow thin films can be used for the deposition. Such reactors include ALD reactors, as well as CVD reactors equipped with appropriate equipment and means for providing the precursors. According to some embodiments, a showerhead reactor may be used.

Examples of suitable reactors that may be used include commercially available equipment such as the F-120® reactor, F-450® reactor, Pulsar® reactors—such as the Pulsar® 2000 and the Pulsar® 3000—EmerALD® reactor and Advance® 400 Series reactors, available from ASM America, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz. and ASM Europe B.V., Almere, Netherlands. Other commercially available reactors include those from ASM Japan K.K (Tokyo, Japan) under the tradename Eagle® XP and XP8.

In some embodiments a batch reactor may be used. Suitable batch reactors include, but are not limited to, reactors commercially available from and ASM Europe B.V (Almere, Netherlands) under the trade names ALDA400™ and A412™. In some embodiments a vertical batch reactor is utilized in which the boat rotates during processing, such as the A412™. Thus, in some embodiments the wafers rotate during processing. In some embodiments in which a batch reactor is used, wafer-to-wafer uniformity is less than 3% (1 sigma), less than 2%, less than 1% or even less than 0.5%.

The growth processes can optionally be carried out in a reactor or reaction space connected to a cluster tool. In a cluster tool, because each reaction space is dedicated to one type of process, the temperature of the reaction space in each module can be kept constant, which improves the throughput compared to a reactor in which the substrate is heated up to the process temperature before each run.

A stand-alone reactor can be equipped with a load-lock. In that case, it is not necessary to cool down the reaction space between each run.

Preferably, for forming an Al and N containing material, each ALD cycle comprises at least two distinct phase. Contacting the substrate with a first precursor and thereafter removing excess first precursor and reaction byproducts from the substrate surface may be considered a phase and may be referred to as a first phase, first precursor phase, Al phase, Al precursor phase, first Al phase, and/or first Al precursor phase. For a deposition cycle, in a first phase, the substrate is contacted with a first precursor comprising Al, which forms no more than about one monolayer on the substrate surface. In a second phase, the substrate is contacted with a second precursor comprising nitrogen and may convert adsorbed first precursor to an Al and N containing material. Contacting the substrate with a second precursor and thereafter removing excess second precursor and reaction byproducts from the substrate surface may be considered a phase and may be referred to as a second phase, second precursor phase, N phase, N precursor phase, first N phase, and/or first N precursor phase. One or more of the precursors may be provided with the aid of a carrier gas, such as N₂, Ar, or He. Additional phases may be added and phases may be removed as desired to adjust the composition of the final film.

Referring to FIG. 1 and according to preferred embodiments an Al and N containing material is selectively deposited on a first surface of a substrate comprising a first surface and a second, different surface by an ALD type deposition process 100 comprising at least one cycle comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising Al at step 120;

removing excess first precursor and reaction by products, if any, from the substrate at step 130;

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen at step 140;

removing from the substrate, at step 150, excess second precursor and any gaseous by-products, and;

optionally repeating at step 160 the contacting and removing steps until an Al and N containing material of the desired thickness has been formed.

In some embodiments one or more surfaces of the substrate may be subjected to a pretreatment process prior to beginning the deposition process 100. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of the selective deposition process 100. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance deposition of an Al and N containing material on one surface relative to one or more different surfaces prior to beginning the deposition process 100. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may inhibit deposition of an Al and N containing material on one surface relative to one or more different surface prior to beginning the deposition process 100. In FIG. 1 this is indicated by step 110 in which the substrate can be exposed to a pretreatment reactant, for example a plasma, prior to deposition of an Al and N containing material.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant. In some embodiments a pretreatment reactant may comprise oxygen. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises oxygen radicals, atomic oxygen, oxygen plasma, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments a pretreatment reactant may comprise nitrogen. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises nitrogen radicals, atomic nitrogen, nitrogen plasma, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments a pretreatment reactant may comprise hydrogen. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises hydrogen radicals, atomic hydrogen, hydrogen plasma, or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments utilizing a pretreatment process wherein the substrate is exposed to a pretreatment reactant comprising oxygen plasma, O₂ may be provided, for example, from about 1 to about 2000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 1000 sccm, and most preferably from about 50 to about 500 sccm. In some embodiments 02 may be provide at about 300 sccm. In some embodiments utilizing a pretreatment process wherein the substrate is exposed to a pretreatment reactant comprising nitrogen plasma, N₂ may be provided, for example, at about from about 1 to about 5000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 2000 sccm, and most preferably from about 50 to about 500 sccm. In some embodiments N₂ may be provided at about 300 sccm. In some embodiments a pretreatment process wherein the substrate is exposed to a pretreatment reactant comprising hydrogen plasma, H₂ may be provided, for example, from about 1 to about 2000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 1000 sccm, and most preferably from about 10 to about 100 sccm. In some embodiments H₂ may be provided at about 50 sccm. Similar conditions can be used for other types of plasma.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant at a pretreatment temperature. In some embodiments the pretreatment temperature may be great than about 20° C. In some embodiments a pretreatment temperature may be between about 20° C. and about 500° C., more preferably between about 50° C. and about 450° C., more preferably between about 150° C. and about 400° C. In some embodiments the pretreatment temperature may be about the same as the deposition temperature. In some embodiments the pretreatment temperature may be different than the deposition temperature. In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of less than about 2500 Watts, for example about 1 to about 1000 Watts, about 1 to about 500 W, or about 1 to about 200 W or less. In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of 50 W. In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of 100 W.

In some embodiments the plasma is provided for less than about 200 seconds, for example about 180 seconds or less, about 60 seconds or less, about 30 seconds or less, about 10 seconds or less, or about 3 seconds or less.

In some embodiments, plasma is formed in a reactor. In some embodiments, the plasma may be formed in situ on top of the substrate or in close proximity to the substrate. In other embodiments, the plasma is formed upstream of the reaction chamber in a remote plasma generator and plasma products are directed to the reaction chamber to contact the substrate. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, in the case of remote plasma, the pathway to the substrate can be optimized to maximize electrically neutral species and minimize ion survival before reaching the substrate.

In some embodiments the treated substrate is not exposed to the ambient environment after a pretreatment process and before beginning a selective deposition process. In some embodiments the treated substrate is not exposed to air after a pretreatment process and before beginning a selective deposition process.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may be used to enhance the selectivity of the subsequent selective deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance selective deposition of an Al and N containing material on a first surface relative to a second different surface. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of a subsequent selective deposition process by a factor of more than about 2, more than about 5, or more than about 10.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may be performed in the same reaction chamber or reactor as the subsequent deposition process 100. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may be performed in a different reaction chamber or reactor than the subsequent deposition process 100.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the substrate is contacted with a first precursor comprising Al at step 120. In some embodiments the first precursor is conducted into a reaction chamber in the form of vapor phase pulse and contacted with the surface of the substrate. Conditions are preferably selected such that no more than about one monolayer of the precursor is adsorbed on the substrate surface in a self-limiting manner. However, in some embodiments conditions may be selected such that more than one monolayer of the precursor may be formed.

The first precursor pulse is preferably supplied in gaseous form. The first precursor gas is considered “volatile” for purposes of the present description if the species exhibits sufficient vapor pressure under the process conditions to transport the species to the workpiece in sufficient concentration to saturate exposed surfaces.

In some embodiments the first precursor contacts the substrate for about 0.01 seconds to about 60 seconds, for about 0.02 seconds to about 30 seconds, for about 0.025 seconds to about 20 seconds, for about 0.05 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.05 seconds to about 2.0 seconds or about 0.1 seconds to about 1.0 second.

The first precursor employed in the ALD type processes may be solid, liquid, or gaseous material under standard conditions (room temperature and atmospheric pressure), provided that the first precursor is in vapor phase before it is conducted into the reaction chamber and contacted with the substrate surface.

At step 130 excess first precursor and reaction byproducts, if any, are removed from the substrate surface, for example by purging with a pulse of inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Purging the reaction chamber means that vapor phase precursors and/or vapor phase byproducts are removed from the reaction chamber such as by evacuating the chamber with a vacuum pump and/or by replacing the gas inside the reactor with an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen. Typical purging times are from about 0.05 to 20 seconds, more preferably between about 1 and 10 seconds, and still more preferably between about 1 and 2 seconds. However, other purge times can be utilized if necessary, such as when depositing layers over extremely high aspect ratio structures or other structures with complex surface morphology is needed. The appropriate purging times can be readily determined by the skilled artisan based on the particular circumstances.

In other embodiments however, removing excess first precursor and reaction byproducts, if any, may comprise moving the substrate so that the first precursor no longer contacts the substrate. In some embodiments no precursor may be removed from the various parts of a chamber. In some embodiments the substrate is moved from a part of the chamber containing a first precursor to another part of the chamber containing a second precursor or no precursor at all. In some embodiments the substrate is moved from a first reaction chamber to a second, different reaction chamber.

At step 140 the substrate is contacted with a second vapor phase precursor comprising N. In some embodiments the second precursor is pulsed into the chamber where it reacts with the first precursor bound to the first surface of the substrate. The reaction typically forms up to about a monolayer of an Al and N containing material on the substrate. In some embodiments, however, more than one molecular layer of an Al and N containing material is formed on the substrate.

In some embodiments, the second precursor may include nitrogen plasma or nitrogen radicals. In such embodiments, nitrogen may be energized within the reaction chamber or upstream of the reaction chamber. Where a plasma is desired, the flow of un-energized second precursor may comprise a type of purge gas, such that after the substrate has been exposed to a nitrogen plasma for a desired period of time, the plasma generator may be turned off and the flow of nitrogen precursor itself is used to clear the reaction chamber of excess nitrogen plasma and unreacted byproducts.

While one skilled in the art will recognize that any number of suitable second precursors may be used, appropriate second precursors include nitrogen containing compounds that favorably react with the ligands of a previously or subsequently deposited first precursor. Accordingly, selection of an appropriate second precursor may depend on the specific first precursor used and the nature of the ligands in the first precursor

In some embodiments the second precursor contacts the substrate for about 0.01 seconds to about 60 seconds, for about 0.02 seconds to about 30 seconds, for about 0.025 seconds to about 20 seconds, for about 0.05 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.05 seconds to about 2.0 seconds or about 0.1 seconds to about 1.0 second. However, depending on the reactor type, substrate type and its surface area, the second precursor contacting time may be even higher than 10 seconds. In some embodiments, contacting times can be on the order of minutes. The optimum contacting time can be readily determined by the skilled artisan based on the particular circumstances.

The concentration of the second precursor in the reaction chamber may be from about 0.01% by volume to about 99.0% by volume. And the second precursor may flow through the reaction chamber at a rate of between about 1 standard cm³/min and about 4000 standard cm³/min.

At step 150, excess second precursor and gaseous by-products of the surface reaction, if any, are removed from the substrate, as described above for step 130. In some embodiments excess precursor and reaction byproducts are preferably removed with the aid of an inert gas.

The steps of contacting and removing may be optionally repeated at step 160 until an Al and N containing material of a desired thickness has been formed on the first surface of the substrate, with each cycle leaving no more than about a molecular monolayer. In some cases, it might be desirable to achieve at least partial decomposition of at least one the various precursors. Thus, in some embodiments conditions may be selected such that more than one molecular layer of an Al and N containing material is formed on the substrate in each deposition cycle.

The Al and N containing material ALD processes of the present disclosure may comprise one or more cycles. Some embodiments involve the repetition of at least about 5 cycles, at least about 10 cycles, or at least about 50 cycles. In some embodiments, no more than 100 cycles are performed to form a thin film of a desirable thickness.

In some embodiments the substrate surface and/or Al and N containing material may optionally be subjected to a plasma treatment process. In FIG. 1 this is indicated by step 170. In some embodiments the plasma treatment process may be performed after more than one deposition cycle has been performed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed before the deposited Al and N containing material film is continuous or closed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed after about every 10 deposition cycles, after about every 20 deposition cycles, or after about every 50 deposition cycles. In some embodiments at least 2 consecutive deposition cycles are performed without a plasma treatment process. In some embodiments at least 5 or 10 deposition cycles are performed without a plasma treatment process. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed before any deposition been carried out; that is, before any deposition cycle is performed.

In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in the same reaction chamber or reactor as the deposition process 100. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in a different reaction chamber or reactor than the deposition process 100.

In some embodiments, plasma is formed in a reactor. In some embodiments, the plasma may be formed in situ on top of the substrate or in close proximity to the substrate. In other embodiments, the plasma is formed upstream of the reaction chamber in a remote plasma generator and plasma products are directed to the reaction chamber to contact the substrate. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, in the case of remote plasma, the pathway to the substrate can be optimized to maximize electrically neutral species and minimize ion survival before reaching the substrate.

In some embodiments, the Al and N containing material can be deposited using a plurality of deposition cycles, and the plasma treatment can be applied at one or more times, including, for example, before deposition, after every deposition cycle, at predetermined intervals during deposition, or after an Al and N containing material of desired thickness is deposited.

In some embodiments a plasma treatment process comprises exposing the substrate to direct plasma. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process comprises exposing the substrate to remote plasma. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process comprises exposing the substrate to excited species or atomic species created in plasma discharge but does not comprise a substantial amount, if any, of ions. In some embodiments the plasma may comprise oxygen. In some embodiments the plasma may comprise nitrogen. Although referred to as a plasma treatment process, in some embodiments a reactive oxygen species that does not comprise plasma may be used, for example ozone. In some embodiments the plasma may comprise hydrogen.

In some embodiments utilizing a pretreatment process or plasma treatment process the substrate is exposed to a reactant comprising oxygen plasma. 02 may be provided as a source gas, for example, from about 1 to about 2000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 1000 sccm, and most preferably from about 50 to about 500 sccm. In some embodiments 02 may be provide at about 300 sccm.

In some embodiments utilizing a pretreatment process or plasma treatment process the substrate is exposed to a reactant comprising nitrogen plasma. N₂ may be provided as a source gas, for example, at about from about 1 to about 5000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 2000 sccm, and most preferably from about 50 to about 500 sccm. In some embodiments N₂ may be provided at about 300 sccm.

In some embodiments utilizing a pretreatment process or plasma treatment process the substrate is exposed to a reactant comprising hydrogen plasma. In some embodiments, H₂ may be provided as a source gas, for example, from about 1 to about 2000 sccm, more preferably from about 5 to about 1000 sccm, and most preferably from about 10 to about 100 sccm. In some embodiments H₂ may be provided at about 50 sccm. Similar conditions can be used for other types of plasma.

In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a reactant at a treatment temperature. In some embodiments the treatment temperature may be great than about 20° C. In some embodiments a treatment temperature may be between about 20° C. and about 500° C., more preferably between about 50° C. and about 450° C., more preferably between about 150° C. and about 400° C. In some embodiments the treatment temperature may be about the same as the deposition temperature and/or the pretreatment temperature. In some embodiments the treatment temperature may be different than the deposition temperature and/or pretreatment temperature.

In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of less than about 2500 Watts, for example about 1 to about 1000 Watts, about 1 to about 500 W, or about 1 to about 200 W or less. In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of 50 W. In some embodiments plasma may be generated at a power of 100 W.

In some embodiments the plasma is provided for less than about 200 seconds, for example about 180 seconds or less, about 60 seconds or less, about 30 seconds or less, about 10 seconds or less, or about 3 seconds or less.

In some embodiments a plasma treatment process 170 may be substantially identical to a pretreatment process 110.

Although the illustrated Al and N containing material deposition cycle begins with contacting the surface of the substrate with the first vapor phase precursor comprising Al, in other embodiments the deposition cycle begins with contacting the surface of the substrate with the second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen. It will be understood by the skilled artisan that contacting the substrate surface with the first vapor phase precursor comprising Al and second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen are interchangeable in the deposition cycle.

In some embodiments the substrate is moved such that different reactants alternately and sequentially contact the surface of the substrate in a desired sequence for a desired time. In some embodiments the removing steps, 130 and 150 are not performed. In some embodiments no reactant may be removed from the various parts of a chamber. In some embodiments the substrate is moved from a part of the chamber containing a first precursor to another part of the chamber containing the second reactant. In some embodiments the substrate is moved from a first reaction chamber to a second, different reaction chamber.

The skilled artisan can determine the optimal reactant evaporation temperatures based on the properties of the selected precursors. The skilled artisan can determine the optimal reactant contact times through routine experimentation based on the properties of the selected precursors and the desired properties of the deposited Al and N containing material.

The growth rate of the Al and N containing materials will vary depending on the reaction conditions. As described below, in initial experiments, the growth rate varied between about 0.01 and about 2.0 Å/cycle. In some embodiments the growth rate may be from about 0.01 Å/cycle to about 3.0 Å/cycle, preferably from about 0.1 Å/cycle to about 2.5 Å/cycle, more preferably 0.3 Å/cycle to about 2.0 Å/cycle.

In some embodiments the deposited Al and N containing material comprises a thin film. In some embodiments the deposited Al and N containing material comprises AlN, and in some embodiments the deposited Al and N containing material is AlN. In some embodiments Al and N containing materials are formed that consist essentially of Al and N. In some embodiments, additional reactants may be used to incorporate into or contribute other materials to the film, for example oxygen to form aluminum oxynitrides. In some embodiments where additional non-metal elements in addition to nitrogen are desired, an ALD process for forming the Al and N containing material may comprise phases in addition to the initial Al and N phases. For example, they may include an oxidation phase where metal aluminum oxynitrides are desired. In an oxidation phase, oxygen or an oxygen-containing precursor is provided in the reaction chamber and allowed to contact the substrate surface. The oxygen phase may be part of one or more deposition cycles. In some embodiments a second metal phase may be provided in one or more deposition cycles. The oxidation phase, or other desirable phase, may follow the Al phase or the N phase, but in either situation, it is desirable in some embodiments, to remove excess oxygen (or other reactant) and any reaction by-products from the reaction space before proceeding to the next phase. In some embodiments an additional phase, such as an oxygen, or additional metal phase may be provided after the final deposition cycle, or intermittently in the deposition process.

In some embodiments deposition of an Al and N containing material on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate is at least about 90% selective, at least about 95% selective, at least about 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% or greater selective. In some embodiments deposition of an Al and N containing material only occurs on the first surface and does not occur on the second surface. In some embodiments deposition on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 80% selective, which may be selective enough for some particular applications. In some embodiments the deposition on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 50% selective, which may be selective enough for some particular applications. In some embodiments the deposition on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 1%, at least about 2.5%, at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, or at least about 40%, all of which may be selective enough for some particular applications.

In some embodiments the ratio of Al and N containing material deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate may be greater than or equal to about 10:1, greater than or equal to about 20:1, or greater than or equal to about 40:1. In some embodiments the ratio of Al and N containing material deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate may be greater than or equal to about 10:1, greater than or equal to about 20:1, or greater than or equal to about 40:1 when the thickness of Al and N containing material deposited on the first surface is more than about 5 nm. In some embodiments the ratio of Al and N containing material deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate may be greater than or equal to about 10:1, greater than or equal to about 20:1, or greater than or equal to about 40:1 when the thickness of Al and N containing material deposited on the first surface is more than about 2.5 nm. In some embodiments the ratio of Al and N containing material deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate may be greater than or equal to about 10:1, greater than or equal to about 20:1, or greater than or equal to about 40:1 when the thickness of Al and N containing material deposited on the first surface is more than about 1 nm.

In some embodiments the ratio of Al and N containing material deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate may be greater than or equal to about 10:1, greater than or equal to about 20:1, or greater than or equal to about 40:1 when the Al and N containing material deposition process comprises between about 0 and about 25 deposition cycles, between about 0 and about 50 deposition cycles, between about 0 and about 100 deposition cycles, or between about 0 and about 150 deposition cycles. In some embodiments less than about 0.1 nm of Al and N containing material is deposited on the second surface of the substrate when an Al and N containing material deposition process comprises between about 0 and about 25 deposition cycles, between about 0 and about 50 deposition cycles, between about 0 and about 100 deposition cycles, or between about 0 and about 150 deposition cycles.

In some embodiments an Al and N containing material has etch selectivity relative to SiO₂, that is an Al and N containing material has an etch rate less than an etch rate of SiO₂, for example in dilute HF. In some embodiments an Al and N containing material has a wet etch rate (WER) of less than ⅕ the thermal oxide removal rate of about 2-3 nm per minute with diluted HF (0.5%). In some embodiments the wet etch rate of the Al and N containing material relative to the wet etch rate of thermally oxidized silicon (SiO₂, TOX) is less than about 0.2 in 0.5% dHF. In some embodiments the wet etch rate of the Al and N containing material relative to the wet etch rate of TOX is less than about 0.1 in 0.5% dHF. In some embodiments the wet etch rate of the Al and N containing material relative to the wet etch rate of TOX is less than about 0.05 in 0.5% dHF.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in some embodiments a substrate comprising a first surface and a second dielectric surface is provided and AlN is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate by a cyclical deposition process 200 comprising at least one cycle comprising:

contacting the substrate with vapor phase trimethylaluminum (TMA) at step 220;

removing excess TMA and reaction by products, if any, from the surface at step 230;

contacting the substrate with vapor phase NH₃ at step 240;

removing from the surface excess NH₃ and any by-products at step 250, and;

optionally repeating at step 260 the contacting and removing steps until an AlN thin film of the desired thickness has been formed.

Although the illustrated AlN deposition cycle begins with contacting the substrate with TMA, in other embodiments the deposition cycle begins with contacting the substrate with NH₃. It will be understood by the skilled artisan that contacting the substrate surface with TMA and NH₃ are interchangeable in the deposition cycle.

In some embodiments one or more surfaces of the substrate may be subjected to a pretreatment process prior to beginning the deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of the selective deposition process 200. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance deposition of AlN on one surface relative to one or more different surfaces prior to beginning the deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may inhibit the deposition of AlN on one surface relative to one or more different surface prior to beginning the deposition process. In FIG. 2 this is indicated by step 210 in which the substrate can be exposed to a pretreatment reactant, for example a plasma, prior to deposition of the Al and N containing material.

In some embodiments the substrate surface and/or AlN thin film may optionally be subjected to a plasma treatment process. In FIG. 2 this is indicated by step 270. In some embodiments this plasma treatment process may be substantially the same as the plasma treatment process 170 described above with respect to FIG. 1. In some embodiments the plasma treatment process 270 may be substantially identical to the pretreatment step 210. In some embodiments the plasma treatment process may be performed after more than one deposition cycle has been performed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed before the deposited AlN film is continuous or closed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed after more than about 10 deposition cycles, after more than about 20 deposition cycles, or after more than about 50 deposition cycles. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in the same reaction chamber or reactor as the deposition process 200. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in a different reaction chamber or reactor than the deposition process 200.

In some embodiments a substrate comprising a first surface and a second dielectric surface is provided and an Al and N containing material is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate by a cyclical deposition process comprising at least one cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a vapor phase first precursor and a vapor phase second precursor. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise Al and the second precursor may comprise N. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise tritertbutylaluminum and the second precursor may comprise NH₃.

In some embodiments a substrate comprising a first surface and a second dielectric surface is provided and AlN is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate by a cyclical deposition process comprising at least one cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a vapor phase first precursor and a vapor phase second precursor. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise Al and the second precursor may comprise N. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise tritertbutylaluminum and the second precursor may comprise NH₃.

In some embodiments a substrate is provided and AlN is deposited on at least part of the substrate by a cyclical deposition process comprising at least one cycle comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a vapor phase first precursor and a vapor phase second precursor and the first precursor may comprise tritertbutylaluminum and the second precursor may comprise NH₃.

In some embodiments, prior to deposition the substrate may be subjected to a pretreatment process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of the selective deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance deposition of AlN on one surface relative to one or more different surfaces prior to beginning the deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may inhibit deposition of AlN on one surface relative to one or more different surface prior to beginning the deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant, for example plasma, prior to deposition of AlN.

In some embodiments the substrate surface and/or AlN thin film may optionally be subjected to a plasma treatment process. In some embodiments this plasma treatment process may be substantially the same as the plasma treatment processes 170 and 270 described above with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In some embodiments the plasma treatment process may be substantially identical to the pretreatment process. In some embodiments the plasma treatment process may be performed after more than one deposition cycle has been performed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed before the deposited AlN film is continuous or closed. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed after less than about 10 deposition cycles, after less than about 20 deposition cycles, or after less than about 50 deposition cycles. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in the same reaction chamber or reactor as the deposition process. In some embodiments a plasma treatment process may be performed in a different reaction chamber or reactor than the deposition process.

Referring to FIG. 3 and according to some embodiments, an Al and N containing material is selectively formed on a first surface relative to a second different surface of a substrate, the substrate comprising the first surface and the second, different surface by a process 300 comprising at least one super-cycle 301 comprising:

selectively depositing the Al and N containing material on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second, different surface at step 320;

etching the deposited Al and N containing material such that substantially all of the deposited Al and N containing material is removed from the second surface and not all of the deposited Al and N containing material is removed from the first surface at step 330;

optionally repeating at step 340 the selectively depositing and etching steps until an Al and N containing material of the desired thickness has been formed on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second different surface.

In some embodiments one or more surfaces of the substrate may be subjected to a pretreatment process at the beginning of the super-cycle 301. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of the selective deposition process step 320. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance deposition of an Al and N containing material on one surface relative to one or more different surfaces prior to a selective deposition step 320. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may inhibit deposition of an Al and N containing material on one surface relative to one or more different surfaces prior to a selective deposition step 320. In FIG. 3 this is indicated by step 310 of super-cycle 301, in which the substrate can be exposed to a pretreatment reactant, for example a plasma, prior to the selective deposition of an Al and N containing material at step 320.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may be the same as pretreatment processes 110 and/or 210 as described herein with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant. In some embodiments a pretreatment reactant may comprise hydrogen. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant comprises hydrogen radicals, atomic hydrogen, hydrogen plasma, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments the pretreatment reactant may comprise a plasma generated from a gas comprising H₂.

In some embodiments, plasma is formed in a reactor. In some embodiments, the plasma may be formed in situ on top of the substrate or in close proximity to the substrate. In other embodiments, the plasma is formed upstream of the reaction chamber in a remote plasma generator and plasma products are directed to the reaction chamber to contact the substrate. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, in the case of remote plasma, the pathway to the substrate can be optimized to maximize electrically neutral species and minimize ion survival before reaching the substrate.

In some embodiments the treated substrate is not exposed to the ambient environment after a pretreatment process 310 and before beginning a selective deposition step 320. In some embodiments the treated substrate is not exposed to air after a pretreatment process 310 and before beginning a selective deposition process at step 320.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process may be used to enhance the selectivity of the subsequent selective deposition process. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance selective deposition of an Al and N containing material on a first surface relative to a second different surface, for example a first and second surface as described herein. In some embodiments a pretreatment process may enhance the selectivity of a subsequent selective deposition process by a factor of more than about 2, more than about 5, or more than about 10.

In some embodiments a pretreatment process 310 may be performed in the same reaction chamber or reactor as the subsequent selective deposition step 320. In some embodiments a pretreatment process 310 may be performed in a different reaction chamber or reactor than the subsequent selective deposition step 320.

Referring again to FIG. 3, Al and N containing material is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface at step 320. In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise a selective deposition process comprising one or more deposition sub-cycles comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase aluminum precursor and a second vapor phase nitrogen precursor. In some embodiments the deposition sub-cycle may be repeated between 1 and 1000 times, between 1 and 500 times, between 1 and 300 times, between 1 and 200 times, between 1 and 50 times, between 1 and 100 times, or between 1 and 50 times.

In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise a selective deposition process as described herein, for example with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise an ALD type deposition process comprising at least one sub-cycle comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising Al;

removing excess first precursor and reaction by products, if any, from the substrate;

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen;

removing from the substrate, excess second precursor and any gaseous by-products, and;

optionally repeating at the contacting and removing steps until an Al and N containing material of the desired thickness has been formed.

In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise an ALD type deposition process comprising at least one sub-cycle comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising trimethylaluminum (TMA);

removing excess first precursor and reaction by products, if any, from the substrate;

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising NH₃;

removing from the substrate, excess second precursor and any gaseous by-products, and;

optionally repeating at the contacting and removing steps until an Al and N containing material of the desired thickness has been formed

In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise one or more deposition sub-cycles. Some embodiments involve the repetition of at least about 5 sub-cycles, at least about 10 sub-cycles, at least about 50 sub-cycles, at least about 100 sub-cycles, at least about 150 sub-cycles, at least about 200 sub-cycles, at least about 300 sub-cycles, at least about 500 sub-cycles, or at least about 1000 sub-cycles. In some embodiments a selective deposition sub-cycles may be repeated until the selective deposition sub-cycle is no longer selective. In some embodiments a selective deposition sub-cycles may be repeated until the selective deposition sub-cycle is no longer significantly selective. In some embodiments a selective deposition sub-cycles may be repeated until the selective deposition sub-cycle has lost a significant amount of selectivity. In some embodiments a selective deposition sub-cycles may be repeated until the selective deposition sub-cycle no longer achieves a desired level of selectivity, for example until the selective deposition sub-cycle no longer achieves about 50% selectivity, about 40% selectivity, about 30% selectivity, about 20% selectivity, about 10% selectivity, about 5% selectivity, about 2% selectivity, about 1% selectivity or less. That is, in some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise repeating a selective deposition sub-cycle, for example an ALD deposition cycle as described herein until said sub-cycle no longer selectively deposited Al and N containing material on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface. In some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise repeating a selective deposition sub-cycle, for example an ALD deposition cycle as described herein until the selectivity of said sub-cycle drops below a predetermined selectivity. For example, in some embodiments selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320 may comprise repeating a selective deposition sub-cycle until said selective deposition sub-cycle has a selectivity less than about 50%, less than about 25%, less than about 15%, less than about 10%, less than about 5%, less than about 2%, less that about 1%, or lower.

Subsequent to selectively depositing the Al and N containing material at step 320, the deposited Al and N containing material is etched, for example by subjecting the Al and N containing material to an etch process at step 330. In some embodiments the etch process removes substantially all of any deposited Al and N containing material from the second surface of the substrate and does not remove substantially all of the deposited Al and N containing material from the first surface of the substrate. In some embodiments the etch process may remove the same, or a similar amount or thickness of Al and N containing material from the first and second surfaces of the substrate, but because Al and N containing material has been selectively deposited on the first surface relative to the second surface at step 320, at least some thickness of Al and N containing material remains on the first surface of the substrate while substantially all or all of any Al and N containing material that has been deposited on the second surface of the substrate is removed by the etch process at step 330.

In some embodiments etching the deposited Al and N containing material at step 330 may comprise subjecting the deposited Al and N containing material to a vapor etch process. In some embodiments the vapor etch process may be a cyclical vapor etch process. In some embodiments the etch process may comprise an atomic layer etch (ALE) process. In some embodiments a sub-monolayer or more of material can be removed from a substrate by atomic layer etching (ALE) processes comprising contacting the substrate surface in a reaction space with at least one vapor-phase reactant. In some embodiments one or more vapor-phase halide reactants are used. The halide reactants may be metal halides, non-metal halides, semi-metal halides, semi/non-metal oxyhalides, or organic (oxy)halides. In some embodiments surface contamination may be removed from a substrate surface, such as B or C contamination.

In some embodiments, ALE processes comprise alternately contacting the substrate surface in a reaction space with at least first and second vapor-phase reactants. In some embodiments one or more of the vapor-phase reactants is a halide reactant. One or more etch cycles or sub-cycles may be provided in an ALE process as part of a selective deposition process or selective deposition super-cycle. In some embodiments the etch cycles comprise alternately exposing the substrate to two different reactants. In some embodiments the etch cycles comprise exposing the substrate to three different reactants. In some embodiments the etch cycles comprise exposing the substrate to four different reactants. In some embodiments the etch cycles comprise exposing the substrate to more than four reactants. In some embodiments the reactant exposures are sequential. Each reactant exposure may be separated by a purge of the reaction space, or by pumping down the reaction chamber to remove reaction by products and excess reactant.

In some embodiments the substrate to be etched is exposed to one or more reactants selected from halides, oxygen compounds, oxygen scavengers, halide exchange drivers, ligand exchangers and metal organic or inorganic reactants. Oxygen compounds may comprise, for example, H₂O, O₂ or O₃. Oxygen scavengers or halide exchange drivers may comprise, for example, Ch_(y)Cl_(x) or CCl₄. In some embodiments an oxygen scavenger or halide exchange driver is a halide as described herein, including a non-metal or semi-metal halide. Ligand exchangers or metal or inorganic reactants may comprise, for example, Hacac or TMA/Sn(acac)₂. In some embodiments a ligand exchanger may be a halide as described herein, including a non-metal or semi-metal halide.

In some embodiments the etch cycles comprise a saturative, self-limiting adsorption step in which the substrate is contacted with at least one vapor phase reactant, such as a halide reactant. For example, the substrate may be contacted with a first vapor-phase reactant followed by a second exposure step in which the substrate is contacted with a second vapor-phase reactant. In the first adsorption step the first reactant adsorbs in a self-limiting manner to the material to be etched on the substrate surface. The second exposure step then leads to the formation of volatile by-products that contain the adsorbate atoms, the second precursor atoms and some atoms from the surface being etched. In this way the etching of the desired material on the substrate surface can be carefully controlled.

In some embodiments the reactions are not self-limiting. However, controlled etching may be achieved by supplying a controlled dose of one or more of the reactants.

In some embodiments, gas phase reactions are avoided by feeding the precursors alternatively and sequentially into the reaction chamber. Vapor phase reactants are separated from each other in the reaction chamber, for example, by removing excess reactants and/or reaction by-products from the reaction chamber between reactant pulses. The reactants may be removed from proximity with the substrate surface with the aid of a purge gas and/or vacuum. In some embodiments excess reactants and/or reactant byproducts are removed from the reaction space by purging, for example with an inert gas. Because of the separation of reactants and the self-limiting nature of the reactions, less than a monolayer of material is typically removed in each ALE etch cycle. However, in some embodiments more than one monolayer may be removed in each cycle. In some embodiments pulses of reactants may partially or completely overlap. For example, in some embodiments one reactant may flow continuously into the reaction space while one or more additional reactants are provided intermittently, at desired intervals.

In some embodiments the ALE methods disclosed herein are thermal etching processes, as opposed to plasma etching processes. Thus, plasma reactants are not used in these thermal ALE etch cycles. While referred to as ‘thermal’ ALE processes to differentiate processes that use plasma reactants, in some embodiments the ALE reactions may have zero activation energy and therefore may not require any additional thermal energy. Thus the reactions may also be referred to as chemical etching processes. Thermal ALE methods can be more desirable in some situations than plasma ALE methods because thermal ALE methods can be less damaging to the underlying substrate. Also, thermal ALE methods can allow for isotropic etching of non-line of sight (NLOS) features.

However, in some embodiments the etch process may comprise an ALE process that does include plasma. In some embodiments an ALE process may comprise contacting the deposited Al and N containing material with at least one vapor phase etch reactant. In some embodiments the etch process may be a dry etch process, for example a reactive-ion etching process. In some embodiments the dry etch process may be a thermal dry etch process. In some embodiments the dry etch process may include the use of plasma.

In some embodiments the etch process of step 330 may comprise an ALE process comprising one or more etching sub-cycles comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the deposited Al and N containing material with a first vapor phase etch reactant and a second vapor phase etch reactant. In some embodiments the etching sub-cycle may be repeated between 1 and 1000 times, between 1 and 500 times, between 1 and 300 times, between 1 and 200 times, between 1 and 50 times, between 1 and 100 times, or between 1 and 50 times.

In some embodiments the etch process of step 330 may comprise an ALE process comprising one or more etching sub-cycles comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase etch reactant;

removing excess first etch reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, from the substrate;

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase etch reactant;

removing excess second etch reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, from the substrate; and

optionally repeating the contacting and removing step to etch the deposited Al and N containing material to a desired extent, for example until the deposited Al and N containing material is substantially completely removed from the second surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments the etch process of step 330 may comprise an ALE process comprising one or more etching sub-cycles comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase halide etch reactant, for example NF₃;

removing excess first etch reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, from the substrate;

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising Al, for example TMA;

removing excess second etch reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, from the substrate; and

optionally repeating the contacting and removing step to etch the deposited Al and N containing material to a desired extent, for example until the deposited Al and N containing material is substantially completely removed from the second surface of the substrate.

In some embodiments an etch sub-cycle may be repeated one or more times. Some embodiments involve the repetition of at least about 5 sub-cycles, at least about 10 sub-cycles, at least about 50 sub-cycles, at least about 100 sub-cycles, at least about 150 sub-cycles, at least about 200 sub-cycles, at least about 300 sub-cycles, at least about 500 sub-cycles, or at least about 1000 sub-cycles. In some embodiments an etch sub-cycle may be repeated until substantially all of the deposited Al and N containing material is removed from the second surface of the substrate while not all of the deposited Al and N containing material is removed from the first surface of the substrate.

According to some embodiments, etch sub-cycles may be performed at temperatures ranging from about 20 to about 1200° C., about 50 to about 800° C., about 75 to about 600° C., about 300° C. to about 500° C., or from about 350° C. to about 450° C. In some embodiments the temperature is greater than about 20, 50 or 100° C., but less than about 1000, 800, 600 or 500° C. In some embodiments the cycles are carried out at a temperature of about 450° C.

The pressure in the reaction chamber is typically from about 10⁻⁹ torr to about 760 torr, or about 0.001 to about 100 torr. However, in some cases the pressure will be higher or lower than this range, as can be determined by the skilled artisan given the particular circumstances. In some embodiments a pressure of less than 2 torr is utilized.

In some embodiments an etch reactant contacts the substrate with the surface to be etched for about 0.01 to about 60 seconds, about 0.05 to about 30 seconds, about 0.05 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.1 seconds to about 3 seconds or about 0.2 seconds to about 1.0 seconds. In some embodiments an etch reactant contacts the substrate surface to be etched for about 0.05 seconds to about 5.0 seconds, about 0.1 seconds to about 3 seconds or about 0.2 seconds to about 1.0 seconds. In some embodiments the contacting time may be greater than about 60 seconds. However, depending on the reactor type, material being etched and other process conditions, such as surface area and temperature, an etch reactant contacting time may be even higher than about 10 seconds. In some embodiments, contacting times can be on the order of minutes. The optimum contacting time can be readily determined by the skilled artisan based on the particular circumstances.

In some embodiments excess etch reactant and reaction byproducts, if any, can be removed from the substrate by, for example, purging the reaction chamber with an inert purge gas. In some embodiments the reaction chamber may be purged by stopping the flow of the etch reactant while continuing to flow a carrier gas or purge gas for a sufficient time to diffuse or purge excess reactants and reactant by-products, from the reaction space. In some embodiments the excess etch reactant and reaction by-products are purged with the aid of inert gas, such as helium or argon. In some embodiments the substrate may be moved from the reaction space containing the second reactant to a different reaction space. The pulse of purge gas may, in some embodiments, be from about 0.1 seconds to about 10 seconds, about 0.1 seconds to about 4 seconds or about 0.1 seconds to about 0.5 seconds.

In some embodiments the first vapor phase etch reactant may comprise a halide. In some embodiments the first vapor phase etch reactant may comprise NF₃. In some embodiments the first vapor phase reactant may comprise NbF₅. In some embodiments the first vapor phase etch reactant may not comprise a plasma or an excited reactant. In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant may comprise aluminum. In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant may comprise one of tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA), trimethylaluminum (TMA) or triethylaluminum (TEA). In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant may be the same as a vapor phase precursor of the selectively depositing step 320. In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant may comprise TMA. In some embodiments the second vapor phase etch reactant may not comprise plasma or an excited reactant.

In some embodiments the etch step 330 is performed in the same reaction space as the selective deposition step 320. However, in some embodiments the etch step 330 may be performed in a different reaction space than a selective deposition step 320. In some embodiments the selectively depositing AlN and the subjecting the substrate to an etch process steps may optionally be repeated at step 340 until an Al and N containing material of a desired thickness has been formed on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface. That is, the super-cycle 301 may optionally be repeated until Al and N containing material of a desired thickness has been formed on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface. In some embodiments the substrate is not exposed to ambient atmosphere after an etch step 330 and prior to beginning another super-cycle 301. In some embodiments the substrate is not exposed to air after an etch step 330 and prior to beginning another super-cycle 301.

First Precursors

A number of different first precursors can be used in the selective deposition processes described herein as first precursors in a selective deposition cycle and/or selective deposition sub-cycle. In some embodiments the first precursor is an organometallic compound comprising aluminum. In some embodiments the first precursor is an alkylaluminum compound. In some embodiments the first precursor does not comprise any other metals than aluminum.

In some embodiments the first precursor is a compound having the formula R₃Al, where R is an alkyl group. Each R can be independently selected from the list of: methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, and tertbutyl groups. Preferably each R can be independently selected from: methyl, ethyl and tertbutyl groups. In some embodiments, each R can be independently selected from C₁-C₄ alkyl groups.

In some embodiments the first precursor comprises Me₃Al, Et₃Al, or ^(t)Bu₃Al. In some embodiments the first precursor is tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA) As mentioned above, in some embodiments the first precursor is trimethylaluminum (TMA).

In some embodiments the first precursor is not a halide. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise a halogen in at least one ligand, but not in all ligands. In some embodiments the first precursor comprises one chlorine ligand and two alkyl ligands. In some embodiments the first precursor is AlCl₃.

In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise hydrogen as at least one ligand, but not all ligands. In some embodiments the first precursor may comprise at least one hydrogen ligand and at least one alkyl ligand.

In some embodiments the first precursor does not comprise nitrogen. In some embodiments the first precursor does not comprise silicon. In some embodiments the first precursor does not comprise oxygen. In some embodiments the first precursor does not comprise nitrogen, silicon, or oxygen.

Second Precursors

In some embodiments the second precursor comprises a nitrogen-hydrogen bond. In some embodiments the second precursor is ammonia (NH₃). In some embodiments, the second precursor is molecular nitrogen. In some embodiments the second precursor is a nitrogen containing plasma. In some embodiments the second precursor is a nitrogen containing plasma, such as nitrogen and hydrogen containing plasma In some embodiments, the second precursor comprises an activated or excited nitrogen species. In some embodiments the second precursor may be a provided in a nitrogen-containing gas pulse that can be a mixture of nitrogen reactant and inactive gas, such as argon.

Integration

The Al and N containing material of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of semiconductor applications. For example, Al and N containing material may be particularly useful as an etch stop layer, for example a contact etch stop layer, in a self-aligned contact formation process. Self-aligned source/drain contacts can be used to provide a misalignment margin for contact lithography. However, a standard self-aligned contact process requires additional processing steps such as a multiple metal recess step, a SiN fill step, and a SiN polish step using chemical-mechanical planarization.

In addition, the need for future scaling of the SiN sidewall spacer and etch stop layer in the standard self-aligned contact process due to increasing device miniaturization may create a risk of short-circuiting between the contact and the metal gate due to spacer or etch stop layer over-etching.

In some embodiments an Al and N containing material of the present disclosure may be used as a etch stop layer in a self-aligned contact process that does not include a metal recess. In some embodiments an Al an N containing material of the present disclosure is etch resistant. FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow for a self-aligned contact process including an Al and N containing material protective layer, capping layer, or etch stop layer, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments a process for forming of a self-aligned contact 400 proceeds as follows:

a semiconductor substrate comprising a first surface and a second, different surface overlying a source/drain region is provided at step 401;

an Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer, for example AlN, is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface, at step 402;

the second surface is removed, for example using a wet etch process, at step 403; and

a contact is formed in place of the removed second surface over a source/drain region of the substrate at step 404.

According to some embodiments, at step 401, a substrate comprising a semiconductor is provided. The semiconductor substrate comprises a first surface and a second, different surface. In some embodiments the first surface comprises a conductive surface. In some embodiments the first surface comprises one or more metal nitrides. In some embodiments the first surface may comprise the surface of a conductive gate and/or the surface of a spacer. For example, in some embodiments the first surface may comprise a TiN gate and a SiN spacer. The second surface is preferably a dielectric surface. In some embodiments the dielectric comprises SiO₂. In some embodiments the second surface is a dummy contact overlying a source/drain region. In some embodiments the SiO₂ dummy contact directly overlies a source/drain region.

In some embodiments the semiconductor substrate is subjected to a standard process through gate polish. That is, a semiconductor substrate may be subjected to a standard replaced metal gate process flow to form a source, gate, and drain as is well known in the art. In some embodiments a semiconductor substrate may be subjected to a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

An Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface at step 402. In some embodiments the Al an N containing protective material is formed over a TiN gate and a SiN spacer. In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective material is formed directly over a TiN gate and a SiN spacer.

In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer is deposited by an ALD process as described herein. In some embodiments the substrate is alternately and sequentially contacted with a first precursor comprising Al and a second precursor comprising N. In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer comprises AlN. In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer comprises an AlN thin film.

In some embodiments deposition of the Al and N containing protective layer on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 90% selective, at least about 95% selective, at least about 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% or greater selective. In some embodiments deposition of the Al and N containing material only occurs on the first surface and does not occur on the second surface. In some embodiments deposition on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 80% selective, or at least about 50% selective.

In some embodiments, the Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer is deposited on the first surface of the substrate to achieve a particular thickness. Suitable thicknesses may be greater than or equal to about 0.1 nm and less than or equal to about 10 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness will be between about 0.1 nm and about 5 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness will be between about 1 nm and about 5 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness is between about 1 nm and about 3 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness is between about 2 nm and about 3 nm. Suitable thicknesses may be greater than or equal to about 0.1 nm and less than or equal to about 10 nm. In some embodiments, the suitable thickness will be one that achieves a complete layer over the substrate surface (i.e., one that leaves no gaps). Accordingly, the actual thickness that achieves a complete layer may depend on the types of precursors used to achieve the Al and N containing material.

At step 403 the second surface of the substrate is removed, for example by using a wet etch process. In some embodiments the second surface of the substrate is removed by etching with dHF. For example, in some embodiments the first and second surfaces of the substrate are exposed to dHF and the second surface of the substrate is removed while the Al and N containing protective layer protects the underlying gate and spacer from being etched. The Al and N containing protective layer is able to function as a etch stop layer because it has a wet etch rate lower than that of the second, dielectric surface as described herein.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, at step 404 a contact may be formed over the source/drain region in place of the now removed second surface. In some embodiments a contact may be formed directly over the source/drain region. In some embodiments a contact comprises a silicide material or a titanium containing material, for example Ti or TiN. According to some embodiments a contact may be formed according to any method known in the art or developed in the future. For example a Ti contact may be formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or a TiN contact may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD).

In some embodiments after formation of the contact or contacts the substrate may then be optionally subjected to further processing or treatment steps.

In some embodiments an Al and N containing material of the present disclosure may be used as a etch stop layer in a self-aligned contact process that does not include a metal recess. FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow for a self-aligned contact process including an Al and N containing material protective layer, or etch stop layer, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments a process for forming of a self-aligned contact 500 proceeds as follows:

a semiconductor substrate comprising a first surface and a second, different surface overlying a source/drain region is provided at step 501;

a portion of the first surface is removed to create a recess therein at step 502;

an Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer, for example AlN, is selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface, at step 503;

the second surface is removed, for example using a wet etch process, and a contact is formed in place of the removed second surface over a source/drain region of the substrate at step 504.

According to some embodiments, at step 501 a substrate comprising a semiconductor is provided. The semiconductor substrate comprises a first surface and a second, different surface. In some embodiments the first surface comprises a conductive surface. In some embodiments the first surface comprises one or more metal nitrides. In some embodiments the first surface may comprise the surface of a conductive gate and/or the surface of a spacer. For example, in some embodiments the first surface may comprise a TiN gate and a SiN spacer. The second surface is preferably a dielectric surface. In some embodiments the dielectric comprises SiO₂. In some embodiments the second surface is a dummy contact overlying a source/drain region. In some embodiments the SiO₂ dummy contact directly overlies a source/drain region.

In some embodiments the semiconductor substrate is subjected to a standard process through gate polish. That is, a semiconductor substrate may be subjected to a standard replaced metal gate process flow to form a source, gate, and drain as is well known in the art. In some embodiments a semiconductor substrate may be subjected to a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

According to some embodiments, at step 502 a portion of the first surface is removed to create a recess therein. In some embodiments the portion of the first surface that is removed is a metal nitride. In some embodiments the portion of the first surface that is removed is SiN. In some embodiments the portion of the first surface that is removed may comprise a spacer, for example a SiN spacer. In some embodiments about 0.1 nm to about 30 nm of a portion of the first surface is removed to create a recess with a depth of about 0.1 nm to about 30 nm. In some embodiments about 0.1 nm to about 20 nm of a portion of the first surface is removed to create a recess with a depth of about 0.1 nm to about 20 nm. In some embodiments about 1 nm to about 10 nm of a portion of the first surface is removed to create a recess with a depth of about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

An Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer is then selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface at step 503. In some embodiments the Al an N containing protective material is formed over a TiN gate and a SiN spacer. In some embodiments the Al an N containing protective material is formed directly over a TiN gate and a SiN spacer.

In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer is deposited by an ALD process as described herein. In some embodiments the substrate is alternately and sequentially contacted with a first precursor comprising Al and a second precursor comprising N. In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer comprises AlN. In some embodiments the Al and N containing protective layer comprises an AlN thin film.

Selectivity can be given as a percentage calculated by [(deposition on first surface)-(deposition on second surface)]/(deposition on the first surface). Deposition can be measured in any of a variety of ways. In some embodiments deposition may be given as the measured thickness of the deposited material. In some embodiments deposition may be given as the measured amount of material deposited. In some embodiments deposition of the Al and N containing protective layer on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 90% selective, at least about 95% selective, at least about 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% or greater selective. In some embodiments deposition of the Al and N containing material only occurs on the first surface and does not occur on the second surface. In some embodiments deposition on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 80% selective, or at least about 50% selective.

In some embodiments, the Al and N containing protective layer or etch stop layer is deposited on the first surface of the substrate to achieve a particular thickness. Suitable thicknesses may be greater than or equal to 0.1 nm and less than or equal to about 10 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness will be between about 0.1 nm and about 5 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness will be between about 1 nm and about 5 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness is between about 1 nm and about 3 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness is between about 2 nm and about 3 nm. Suitable thicknesses may be greater than or equal to about 0.1 nm and less than or equal to about 10 nm. In some embodiments, the suitable thickness will be one that achieves a complete layer over the substrate surface (i.e., one that leaves no gaps). Accordingly, the actual thickness that achieves a complete layer may depend on the types of precursors used to achieve the Al and N containing material.

At step 504 the second surface of the substrate is removed, for example by using a wet etch process. In some embodiments the second surface of the substrate is removed by etching with dHF. For example, in some embodiments the first and second surfaces of the substrate are exposed to dHF and the second surface of the substrate is removed while the Al and N containing protective layer protects the underlying gate and spacer from being etched. The Al and N containing protective layer is able to function as a etch stop layer because it has a wet etch rate lower than that of the second, dielectric surface as described herein. A contact is then formed over the source/drain region in place of the now removed second surface. In some embodiments a contact may be formed directly over the source/drain region. In some embodiments a contact comprises a silicide material, or a titanium containing material, for example Ti or TiN. According to some embodiments a contact may be formed according to any method known in the art or developed in the future. For example a Ti contact may be formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or a TiN contact may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD).

In some embodiments after formation of the contact or contacts the substrate may then be optionally subjected to further processing or treatment steps.

Example 1

In this example AlN was selectively deposited on the first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the substrate. In this example the first surface of the substrate comprised TiN deposited by ALD and the second surface of the substrate comprised SiO₂ deposited by plasma enhanced vapor deposition (PEALD). Sample AlN films were selectively deposited by an ALD process using trimethylaluminum (TMA) as a first precursor and NH₃ as a second precursor. Each deposition cycle was carried out at a temperature of 375° C. and a reaction chamber pressure of 2 Torr. Each deposition cycle included a first precursor pulse of 0.5 seconds, and a second precursor pulse of 2 seconds. After each TMA pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 3 seconds, and after each NH₃ pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 2 seconds.

Samples were deposited using an ALD process consisting of from 30 to 70 deposition cycles. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the thicknesses of material deposited on the first, TiN surface was measured and compared with the thicknesses of material deposited on the second, SiO₂ surface. The ratio of material thickness deposited on the first TiN surface to the second SiO₂ surface defines the selectivity of the deposition process. FIG. 6 shows that for an ALD process consisting of 70 deposition cycles the ratio of AlN deposited on the first surface relative to the second surface is approximately 8.5:1, which represents a selectivity of about 89%.

Example 2

In this example AlN was selectively deposited on the first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the substrate. In this example the first surface of the substrate comprised TiN deposited by ALD and the second surface of the substrate comprised SiO₂ deposited by PEALD. Further samples were prepared wherein AlN was selectively deposited on a first surface comprising TiN deposited by ALD relative to a second surface comprising native silicon oxide. Sample AlN films were selectively deposited by an ALD process using trimethylaluminum (TMA) as a first precursor and NH₃ as a second precursor. Each deposition cycle was carried out at a temperature of 375° C. and a reaction chamber pressure of 2 Torr. Each deposition cycle included a first precursor pulse of 0.5 seconds, and a second precursor pulse of 1 second. After each TMA pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 3 seconds, and after each NH₃ pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 2 seconds.

Samples were deposited using an ALD process consisting of from 70 to 150 deposition cycles. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the thicknesses of material deposited on the first, TiN surface was measured and compared with the thicknesses of material deposited on the second, SiO₂ and native oxide surfaces. FIG. 7 shows that for an ALD process consisting of 130 deposition cycles the ratio of AlN deposited on the first surface relative to the second PEALD SiO₂ surface is approximately 43:1, which represents a selectivity of about 98%. For an ALD process consisting of 110 deposition cycles the ratio of AlN deposited on the first surface relative to the second native oxide surface is approximately 3:1, which represents a selectivity of about 75%.

Example 3

In this example AlN was selectively deposited on the first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the substrate. The first surface of the substrate comprised TiN deposited by ALD and the second surface of the substrate comprised native silicon oxide. Prior to AlN deposition, the substrate was subjected to a plasma treatment process. The substrate was exposed to direct plasma generated at a power of 50 W for 10 seconds. The plasma was generated from O₂.

The sample AlN film was selectively deposited by an ALD process using trimethylaluminum (TMA) as a first precursor and NH₃ as a second precursor. Each deposition cycle was carried out at a temperature of 375° C. and a reaction chamber pressure of 2 Torr. Each deposition cycle included a first precursor pulse of 0.5 seconds, and a second precursor pulse of 1 second. After each TMA pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 3 seconds, and after each NH₃ pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 2 seconds. The sample was deposited using an ALD process consisting of 110 deposition cycles.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the thickness of the material deposited on the first plasma treated TiN surface was measure and compared with the thickness of material deposited on the second plasma treated native oxide surface. FIG. 8 also shows the data obtained from the samples in Example 2. No significant change in AlN thickness is observed when comparing the thickness of material deposited on the first TiN surface after 110 deposition cycles with the thickness of material deposited on the first plasma treated TiN surface after 110 deposition cycles. However, a significant reduction in AlN thickness is observed when comparing the thickness of material deposited on the second native oxide surface after 110 deposition cycles with the thickness of material deposited on the second plasma treated native oxide surface. After plasma treatment, essentially no deposition is observed on the second surface relative to the first surface. For an ALD process consisting of 110 deposition cycles the ratio of AlN deposited on the first plasma treated TiN surface relative to the second plasma treated native oxide surface is approximately 33:1, which is over a 10× improvement in selectivity when compared to an identical selective deposition process without plasma treatment.

Further samples were prepared wherein the first surface of the substrate comprised TiN deposited by ALD and the second surface of the substrate comprised native silicon oxide. Prior to AlN deposition, the substrates were subjected to a plasma treatment process. The substrates were exposed to direct plasma generated at a power of between 50 W and 300 W for between 3 seconds and 10 seconds. The plasma was generated from 02. The thicknesses of AlN deposited on the first surface of each substrate were compared with the thicknesses of material deposited on the second surface and the selectivity was calculated for each sample. Results are shown in Table 1, below.

TABLE 1 Selectivity of AlN deposited by ALD with varying direct plasma treatment conditions O2 Direct Thickness Thickness O2 Plasma of AlN of AlN Plasma Exposure deposited deposited Power Time No. of on on Native (Watts) (Seconds) Cycles TiN (nm) Oxide (nm) Selectivity 50 10 110 5.21 0.16 32.6 300 10 110 4.36 0.2 21.8 300 3 110 4.40 0.43 10.2

From these results, it was observed that selectivity of AlN deposition decreased as the power of the direct plasma pretreatment increased, while the selectivity was observed to increase with increasing direct plasma exposure duration.

Example 4

In this example AlN was selectively deposited on the first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the substrate. In this example the first surface of the substrate comprised TiN deposited by ALD and the second surface of the substrate comprised SiO₂ deposited by PEALD. Further samples were prepared wherein AlN was selectively deposited on a first surface comprising TiN deposited by ALD relative to a second surface comprising SiO₂ deposited by PEALD. Sample AlN films were selectively deposited by an ALD process using trimethylaluminum (TMA) as a first precursor and NH₃ as a second precursor. Each deposition cycle was carried out at a temperature of 390° C. and a reaction chamber pressure of 2 Torr. Each deposition cycle included a first precursor pulse of 0.5 seconds, and a second precursor pulse of 1 second. After each TMA pulse the reaction chamber was purged for 5 seconds, and after each NH₃ pulse the reaction chamber was also purged for 5 seconds.

Samples were deposited using an ALD process consisting of from 70 to 100 deposition cycles. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the thicknesses of material deposited on the first, TiN and W surfaces was measured and compared with the thicknesses of material deposited on the second, SiO₂ surface. FIG. 9 shows that AlN deposition on a first surface comprising either W or TiN had very high selectivity relative to the SiO₂ surface.

Example 5

In this example, AlN was selectively formed on the first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate. In this example the substrate comprised a W/SiO₂ pattern structure, wherein the first surface of the substrate comprised W metal lines that had been formed on a silicon wafer. The second surface of the substrate comprised SiO₂ deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Sample AlN films were formed on the first surface of the substrate by a process as described herein, for example with respect to FIG. 3, comprising a super-cycle comprising pretreating the substrate, selectively depositing AlN on the first surface relative to the second surface, and etching the deposited AlN such that substantially all of the deposited AlN was removed from the second surface and not substantially all of the deposited AlN was removed from the first surface. The process comprised four super-cycles.

The pretreatment step comprised exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from H₂ at a temperature of 250° C. according to some embodiments and as described herein. The selective deposition step comprised an ALD process comprising a plurality of sub-cycles comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising TMA and a second vapor phase precursor comprising NH₃ at a process temperature of 375° C., according to some embodiments and as described herein. The etch step comprise an ALE process a plurality of sub-cycles comprising alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase etch reactant comprising NF₃ and a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising TMA at a process temperature of 300° C. The sub-cycles were repeated until substantially all of the deposited AlN was removed from the second surface and not substantially all of the deposited AlN was removed from the first surface.

FIG. 10A shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the deposited AlN film. It was observed that approximately 15 nm of AlN was formed on the first surface comprising W, while no observable AlN was formed on the second surface comprising SiO₂. FIG. 10B is an enhanced view of a portion of the substrate, showing a single W line. An AlN film can clearly be observed on the W surface, while no AlN is observed on the adjacent SiO₂ surface.

Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than or equal to 10% of, within less than or equal to 5% of, within less than or equal to 1% of, within less than or equal to 0.1% of, and within less than or equal to 0.01% of the stated amount. If the stated amount is 0 (e.g., none, having no), the above recited ranges can be specific ranges, and not within a particular % of the value. For example, within less than or equal to 10 wt./vol. % of, within less than or equal to 5 wt./vol. % of, within less than or equal to 1 wt./vol. % of, within less than or equal to 0.1 wt./vol. % of, and within less than or equal to 0.01 wt./vol. % of the stated amount.

The terms “film” and “thin film” are used herein for simplicity. “Film” and “thin film” are meant to mean any continuous or non-continuous structures and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. For example, “film” and “thin film” could include 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes or nanoparticles or even single partial or full molecular layers or partial or full atomic layers or clusters of atoms and/or molecules. “Film” and “thin film” may comprise material or layer with pinholes, but still be at least partially continuous.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The described features, structures, characteristics and precursors can be combined in any suitable manner. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for selectively forming a material comprising aluminum and nitrogen on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second different surface of the substrate, the process comprising one or more super-cycles comprising: one or more selective deposition sub-cycles comprising selectively depositing the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second different surface of the substrate; and one or more atomic layer etching sub-cycles comprising etching the deposited material comprising aluminum and nitrogen.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is selectively formed on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second different surface of the substrate with a selectivity greater than about 99%.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the material comprising aluminum and nitrogen is deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second different surface of the substrate with a selectivity greater than 5% in the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles.
 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more super-cycles additionally comprise exposing the substrate to a pretreatment reactant.
 5. The process of claim 4, wherein the substrate is exposed to the pretreatment reactant prior to the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles.
 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the pretreatment reactant comprises plasma.
 7. The process of claim 6, wherein the plasma is generated from a gas comprising H₂.
 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles comprise: contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum; and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen.
 9. The process of claim 8, wherein the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles are repeated until the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles are no longer selective.
 10. The process of claim 8, wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprising aluminum comprises one of tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA), trimethylaluminum (TMA) or triethylaluminum (TEA).
 11. The process of claim 8, wherein the second vapor phase precursor comprising nitrogen comprises NH₃.
 12. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more atomic layer etching sub-cycles comprise: contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase halide etch reactant; and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum.
 13. The process of claim 12, wherein the first vapor phase halide etch reactant comprises NF₃ or NbF₅.
 14. The process of claim 12, wherein the second vapor phase etch reactant comprising aluminum comprises trimethylaluminum (TMA) or triethylaluminum (TEA).
 15. The process of claim 12, wherein the one or more atomic layer etching sub-cycles are carried out at a process temperature of 300° C.
 16. The process of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a conductive surface and the second different surface is a dielectric surface.
 17. The process of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises W and the second surface comprises SiO₂.
 18. The process of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises TiN and the second surface comprises SiO₂.
 19. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles are repeated from 1 to 300 times and the one or more atomic layer etching sub-cycles are repeated from 1 to 150 times.
 20. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more selective deposition sub-cycles comprise contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising trimethylaluminum (TMA) and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising NH₃, and the one or more atomic layer etching sub-cycles comprise contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase halide etch reactant comprising NF₃, and a second vapor phase etch reactant comprising TMA. 